The defect
Karma Automotive (Karma) is recalling certain 2018 Karma Revero vehicles. In the event of a roll over crash, the side curtain/head protection air bags may not deploy as intended due to a rollover sensor system that is not enabled. The system also lacks an instrument cluster warning light and a description of the system in the owner's manual. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
The risk
If the side air bags do not deploy as intended in a roll over crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Karma will notify owners, and dealers will replace the existing Airbag Control Unit (ACU) with a rollover enabled ACU and the owners manual will be updated with the description of the system, free of charge. The recall began July 1, 2019. Owners may contact Karma customer service at 1-855-288-6109. Karma's number for this recall is RC-19-84-01.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Karma Revero | 2018 |
Components: AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karma Revero | 2018 | 0 | 4 |
Other air bags recalls in 2019
76 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the air bags; Karma Automotive LLC filed 10 campaigns in all.
| 19V910000 19 Dec 2019 | Subaru of America, Inc. |
| 19V892000 16 Dec 2019 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 19V885000 12 Dec 2019 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| 19V868000 6 Dec 2019 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 19V862000 4 Dec 2019 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 19V852000 26 Nov 2019 | BMW of North America, LLC |
| 19V853000 26 Nov 2019 | BMW of North America, LLC |
| 19V851000 26 Nov 2019 | BMW of North America, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019